Midwesterner moving to SF--Chances of Success? (San Francisco, Monterey: rent, job market, luxury)

[SusanRQ]

Hello everyone,

I've been reading all of your posts for the last several months. There's a lot of great information on here! I have a question I would like to pose to whomever might like to chime in. I've been doing a lot of research on my own, but would greatly appreciate comments from those of you who are already in the city. I am a 38 year old single woman with a 15 year old son moving to SF in mid-June. I am going through a divorce and my brother, who has lived in San Francisco with his wife for the last several years, convinced me to come out and give it a try. (I currently live in Cleveland, OH.)

For most of my life, I have been a social worker, but I recently (December) completed my MBA, and would like to move into the corporate world. I have two major concerns: (1) How tough is the job market right now? I plan on sending resumes via monster.com before moving, but I am very concerned about the length of time I may be without a job. (Of course, I'm not expecting to find my dream job immediately--I'll do what I have to in order to get by at first--within reason of course.) I don't have to worry about a place to live right away, because we can stay with my brother, or use temporary housing. (2) I plan on living in the city. My brother states I will not need my car, and I trust his advice, but I would like the opinions of others as well. Do most of you that live in the city have a car? Any advice any of you can give on the feasibility of a successful relocation would also be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

[NH2008]

Hi Susan,

I don't have any great job-hunting advice, but wanted to say welcome because I am a Cleveland native as well. I can absolutely appreciate your wanting a change of scenery!

You could certainly survive without a car in SF but we always had one and used it a lot. It's a luxury and not the necessity it is in Cleveland, but it's really nice to have. Public transportation in SF is MUCH better than it is in Cleveland, but not nearly as good as it is in, say, NYC. Parking can be brutal and garage space is pricey, but for us it was well worth it. My favorite thing about SF is its location, and if you want to take day trips to Wine Country, Muir Woods, Stinson Beach, Monterey, etc you'll need to own or rent a car. It also comes in handy when stocking up on groceries, heading to the airport or visiting friends across town. There are (or were when we were there) car-sharing services that might be a compromise. The buses do go almost everywhere, but I wouldn't say they are always convenient or pleasant.

If your brother's able to help you network with live humans, you might get more leads that way than through online sites. Now that you have your MBA, could you get in touch with a recruiter? I don't think there's anything wrong with Monster.com, but you might get more leads through an actual person, and there's less competition. Just my 2 cents.

Good luck and enjoy!

[SusanRQ]

Thank you very much for your kind words and advice. I think I will fly out there first, and try it for a month or so before making a decision about my car. I've read about "zip" cars, which I think is the car sharing you were referring to. If I understand it correctly, you pay a monthly fee, (or can choose to pay an annual fee for occasional access) and then reserve a car when you might need it. If it works that well, it might be a nice compromise.

[Alisande]

Originally Posted by SusanRQ

Hello everyone,

I've been reading all of your posts for the last several months. There's a lot of great information on here! I have a question I would like to pose to whomever might like to chime in. I've been doing a lot of research on my own, but would greatly appreciate comments from those of you who are already in the city. I am a 38 year old single woman with a 15 year old son moving to SF in mid-June. I am going through a divorce and my brother, who has lived in San Francisco with his wife for the last several years, convinced me to come out and give it a try. (I currently live in Cleveland, OH.)

For most of my life, I have been a social worker, but I recently (December) completed my MBA, and would like to move into the corporate world. I have two major concerns: (1) How tough is the job market right now? I plan on sending resumes via monster.com before moving, but I am very concerned about the length of time I may be without a job. (Of course, I'm not expecting to find my dream job immediately--I'll do what I have to in order to get by at first--within reason of course.) I don't have to worry about a place to live right away, because we can stay with my brother, or use temporary housing. (2) I plan on living in the city. My brother states I will not need my car, and I trust his advice, but I would like the opinions of others as well. Do most of you that live in the city have a car? Any advice any of you can give on the feasibility of a successful relocation would also be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Ok, you aren't going to want to hear this but.... do not move into the city with a 15 year old. Unless you can afford a private school.